Search-light



(No Model.) Y

W.v E. HADLOCK. SEARCH LIGHT.

No.V 456,408. Patented Jul'y 21, 1891..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM E. HADLOOK, OF VENHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEARCH-LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 456,408, dated July 21, 1891.

Application led March 12, 1890. Serial No. 343,661. (No model.)

To `all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HADLocK, of VenhaIn, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Operating Search- Lights, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to search-lights such as are employed on vessels; and it consists in means for giving a universal movement of the lamp, whereby the beam of light thrown from the said lamp and its reiiector may be turned in any direction by a person at any required distance from said lamp-as, for example, in the pilot-house of the vesselthe said lamp being supported at some point outside the pilothouse-as, for example, at the bow of the vessel.

The invention is embodied in a lamp supporting and operating apparatus comprising a standard or upright for supporting the lamp, which may be iirmly secured to the deck of the vessel or other part of the structure in which the lamp is to be used, the said upright containing a shaft capable of rotary movement therein, which shaft is connected with bearings for a horizontal shaft or axle, upon which the lamp is directly supported, and suitable connections are provided by which the lamp may be turned upon its horizontal axis to any required inclination to a vertical plane, while the upright shaft may be turned to throw the beam of light from the lamp to any desired direction in the horizontal plane, the combination of the two movements, which are made independently of one another, givinga universal movement to the lamp, by which the beam of light may be thrown in any desired direct-ion.

Means are provided for affording an electrical connection between the lamp and conductors supported on the stationary part of the structure, so that an electric-arc lamp or any other required form of electric lamp may be used for producing the light.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a searchlight and apparatus for operating the same embodying this invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail showing one of the bearings of the horizontal axis of the lamp of the appliances which are directly acted r upon bythe operator for manipulating the lamp; Fig. 5, a front elevation of the appliances for supporting and operatin g the lamp; and Fig. 6 a longitudinal sectional detail,on a larger scale, of the standard and adjacent parts for supporting and producing the horizontal movement of the lamp.

The lamp proper, with a suitable reflector for throwing the light in a substantially parallel beam, is inclosed in a suitable case a, provided with lateral projections a2, constituting a horizontal axle upon which it turns in bearings in uprights h b2 at the ends of a cross-piece h3, connected with a tubular shaft c, (see Fig. 6,) which extends through a tubular standard or upright d, which is securely fastened on the structure on which the lamp is to be used-as, for example, upon the deck of a vessel.

The lamp itself may be of any desired construction, as the means for-producing the illumination form no part of the presentinvention, although provision is made for the use of an electric-arc lamp supplied with, current from conductors suitably supported stationary part of the structure.

It will be understood that by turning the,V

lamp-case a on its horizontal axis a2, and by turning the supporting-frame b b? b3 for said axis on the vertical axis of the tubes c d, a universal movement is aiorded for the lamp by which the beam of light may be thrown in any desired direction. y These movements are produced by the operator at any convenient point-as, for example, in the pilot-house c of the vessel-by the following mechanism:

In one of the bearing uprights, as b, (see Fig. 2,) the axle a2 ot the lamp-case has fixed upon it a pulley f, havingconnected with it ,011 the a chain f2, which is connected with a spring f3, tending to turn the shaft d2 in the direction of the arrow and to thus throw the beam of light, the direction of which is indicated in dotted lines at ft2 in Fig. 1 downward. In

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the other bearing-frame the other end of the axle a2 has fixed upon it a pulley g, having connected with it a chain h3, passing over a pulley h near the lower end of said bearing frame, and another pulley h2, supported over the end of t'ne standard d, as shown in Fig. 5, said chain hpassing down through the vertical tubular axis c of the frame and over suitable guide-pulleys Vh4 into the pilot-house c, Where itisconnectedwith a hub ordrum h5, (see Fig. 4,) provided with a crank-handle h6, which may be turned by the operator in the direction to wind the chain h3, and thus cause the lamp to be turned in the direction to throw the beam of lightupward, this operation winding the chain f2, Fig. 2, upon the pulley f and straining the spring f3, which turns the lamp inthe opposite direction when the operator permits the handle h to be turned in the direction to incline the chain or connector h3. By these means the lamp may be rocked or turned ina vertical plane about a horizont-al axis a2, and as the flexible connector h3 passes through the axis of the supporting-upright cl such movement may take place independently of and be unaffected by the movement of the entire frame b h2 b3 in ahorizontal plane or about the vertical axis, which movement is produced as follows: The tubular axle c, that is connected with the frame b3, passes wholly through the stationary tubularupright d, and is provided at its lower end with a pulley c2, having connected with it a chain c3, which passes over suitable guide-pulleys and is connected with a winding drum or pulley c4, provided with suitable handles o5, to be manipulated by the operator, thus turning the drum canin the direction to wind the Vchain thereon, tending to turn the tubular axis c and the frame b b2 b3 in one direction to shift the direction of the beam of light horizontally. The said parts are turned in the opposite direction by a spring z', (see Fig. 6,) having one end connectedy with the tubular axle c and the other end made fast-as, for example, at the lower end of the upright (Z-the said spring tending to turn the axle c2 in the direction to unwind the chain c3 from the drum Y 04,7and thus to turn thelamp inthe opposite direction in the horizontal plane to that in which it is turned by winding the chain upon the drum c4. If desired, the said drum c4 may bc provided with a ratchet, as shown in dotted lines at c6, (see Fig. 4,) co-operating with a pawl or dog c7, which prevents the lamp from turning under the stress ot the spring t' until the said dog is released by the operator and the drum 'c4 permitted to turn back under the action of the spring t'.

If desired, a clamping device, as m, (see Figs. l and 4,) may be employed 'to 'lock and retain either one or both of the chain-Winding drums c4 and h5 in any desired position until occasion arises to change the direction or the beam of light from the lamp.

The frame b3 is provided with a downwardly-projecting hood or collar b4, (see Fig. 6,) covering the upper end of the tubular standard d and protecting the joint from the weather, and the chain h3 may be covered by suitable casing, as shown at h5, Fig. 6. i

In order to provide suitable means for conveying an electric current into the lamp-case d when an electric light is used,the tubular shaft c is provided with any desired number of washers n, (see Fig. 6,) of insulating ma terial, each' provided with a central opening for the chain h3 and other openings for electric wires, which are thus incased in the upright but insulated therefrom. At the upper ends of said uprights the said Wires may be connected by suitably-flexible portions ceo2 to the lamp-case a, said flexible portions accommodating the movement of the lamp on its horizontal axis, while at the lower end of the tube c the conductors may be provided with suitably-flexible portions p p2 for accommodating the movement of the lamp on its ver tical axis, the4 said flexible portions being connected with stationary conductors leading to the generator of electricity by which the lamp-operating current is produced.

The herein-described mechanismlaffords a p very efcient and durable means for operating search-lamps on vessels and other structures requiring a universal kmovement of the lamp for varying the direction of the light at will, the said lamp being manipulated by an operator stationed at any desired distance from it.

I claiml. The combination of the stationary tubular upright Ywith the tubular axle working therein, the cross-piece counectedwith the upper end of said tubular axle, provided with uprights, the lamp supported on the horizontal axle having its bearings in said'uprights, and the sleeve connected with said cross-piece and extending down over the upper portion of the stationary upright, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of thestationary tubular upright with the tubular axle working therein, the frame supported on said axle, the lamp supported on a horizontal axle having its bearings in Ysaid frame, the spring con-l nected with the said horizontal axle and tending to turn it in one direction, and the chain extending through the vertical axle and connected to turn the horizontal axle in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the stationary tubular upright with the tubular axle working therein, the frame supported on said axle, the lamp supported on a horizontal axle having 4its bearings in said frame, the said vertical 'tubular axle being provided with a pulley and a chain connected therewith, and a spring tending to turn the said vertical axle in the direction to Wind the said chain on said pulley, substantially as described.

It.. The combination of the stationary tubu- IOO ITO

lar upright with the tubular axle Working) 13o therein, the frame supported on said axle, the lamp supported on a horizontal axle having In testimony whereof I have .signed my name to this speoicatlon 1n Jalle presence of ro two subscribing Witnesses. H

WVILLIAM E. HADLOCK.

W'ituesses:

Jos. P. LIVERMORE, JAS. J. MALONEY. 

